olean-restructuring-committee - Education.committee.k-4-5-8

This page has been made since we have discussed this particular configuration.

Oct. 7 from Tim: Below is an Excel file recap of the survey I put out to similar districts a few weeks ago. So far, 16 people have answered the survey. I sorted it by type of configuration. There are some interesting comments. Not really scientific, but definitely worth getting.

survey results.xls

Oct. 7 from Tim: I recently spoke with Erich Reidell, the principal of Lake Shore Middle School in Angola. His district recently considered going 5-8 in their middle school, but decided agains it. I have some files here and comments from my phone conversation with him.

Comments from phone conversation:

Board was faced with having to do something - move 5th to the middle school and/or close 2 elem schools
Architecturally, a 5-8 middle school would have been tough. The building was designed as a junior high for 7-9.
The idea didn't fly with the public - outcry about moving 5th graders to middle school.

Lakeshore's findings were fairly neutral:

None of the schools that were doing it said not to move the 5th to the middle.
Community against it (at least those at a board meeting):
He presented findings at a board meeting, but those in attendance were dead set against it.
At the same meeting, the supt. announced plans to close 2 elem schools; no big outcry against that.
He was somewhat perplexed about that.

Upside:

you can build "a couple of houses" within the same building - 5/6 and 7/8
makes 8th graders feel like role models if done correctly
he was excited about the possiblilities. His kids currently attend Williamsville's Mill Middle School.
Mill Middle has been 5-8 since the mid 80's, no big concerns about 5th grader safety.

k-2/3-5

rejected for geographic reasons. Lakeshore includes several towns with elem schools in each.
Elem schools went from 5 to 4 about a year ago. Another one is closing at the end of this school year.

Budget concerns: